When parents of emerging adults come to me, they’re usually exhausted. They’ve tried everything: threats, lectures, rewards, and reminders, and nothing seems to stick.

They say things like:

“I’ve told her to get a job, but she won’t.”
“He says he’ll go to therapy, but then he doesn’t.”
“I just want ...

A parent recently reached out with a question that I hear more often than you might think:

“My daughters are 20 and 23. Neither has ever dated.
They’re kind, capable, independent, and they both live at home while working part-time and attending or searching for school and job opportunities.
They sa...

Here’s something hard, but important:
If your emerging adult knows you won’t follow through on what you say, they’ll stop taking you seriously.

Parents tell me, “I’ve told them if they don’t help out, they’re out of the house.”
But here’s what I know: many of your kids don’t believe you.
They’ve told ...

If your emerging adult seems unmotivated, disconnected, or constantly tuned out, I want to offer a gentle reframe:

The problem isn’t their lack of drive.
The real issue is the amount of time they’re scrolling, gaming, and ingesting online media and the impact it’s having on their brain and sense of ...

Every now and then, I get a message from a parent that really hits a nerve, and shines a light on a different kind of parenting challenge. It goes something like this:

“My 20-year-old didn’t go to college, has struggled with a few jobs, but finally landed an office job he loves. That’s the good new...

Parents, if you’re still waking your emerging adult up every morning for work, I need to lovingly challenge you on that.

I understand the fear.
You’re thinking, “If I don’t wake them, they’ll lose their job.”
And yes, they might.

But if you are the only reason they’re getting to work on time, then l...